First Place, 2015

Genomes for most microbial life in the ocean have yet to be sequenced. This is a map of DNA fragments sequenced from the Gulf of Mexico dead zone. The dead zone is an area of low oxygen in the Gulf. Each square is a different DNA fragment from the water. The colored groupings—based on similar DNA sequence composition—represent genomes of newly discovered species that are important to the ecosystem.

Credit:
Brett Baker, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Marine Science